Langer’s played a great game for the Broncos too

WHAT a game today's NRL decider will be - and don't forget the dreaded daylight saving starts this morning in New South Wales. You'd hate to miss the kick-off by an hour.

The great thing about the game is, as a Queenslander it doesn't really matter who wins. If it is the Cowboys it will finally be the fairytale ending they deserve. If it's the Broncos it will be a masterstroke by the master coach, Wayne Bennett.

During the hype of this week I thought I had unearthed the real reason for the Broncos' huge improvement since their last-season flop.

Sure, Wayne is there, but the other change since 2014 is Alfie Langer being back on the tools, running the water and basically being the 14th man on the field.

I put it on Alfie this week, but he wouldn't have it. He was adamant Bennett had given the players guidance and confidence and that was the difference. I suggested Alfie standing in the defensive line had to be helpful, but he wouldn't have it and said: "Maybe in attack I make a difference, just like when I played. Not real interested in the defensive line."

Nevertheless as a big Langer fan I reckon he certainly has contributed to the turnaround.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Maroochy Roos' under-16 side for winning the premiership in the elite under-16 Brisbane competition, the McDonald's Cup, in only their second year in.

Last year there were two main reasons the club entered the competition - to challenge its deeply talented cohort of players and, just as importantly, to offer a talent pathway for their up-and-coming juniors.

Last year they finished fifth, narrowly beaten in an elimination final.

This year the side lost only one game on the way to the premiership - a massive achievement in the state's strongest under-16 competition.

The grand final was at Coorparoo against West Juniors - the only side to beat the Roos during the year.

Apart from a small lapse at the start of the last quarter, the Roos boys were in total control and went on to win well by three to four goals.

Best on the day were Jake Warren (best on ground), Bayden Goff, Noah Cumberland, Daniel Fleming and Luke Norbury, but all players contributed.

Well done also to inaugural and current head coach Tristan Scott and assistant Trevor Larkins, who have worked tirelessly to achieve this outstanding result.

As in all codes, this age group is high on the priority list to retain as there are lots of distractions on the Sunshine Coast for kids at this age.

So well done to Maroochydore - hopefully they will continue to enter a team in the best of the best.

THE England rugby coach must have a deadset goal of getting sacked.

After playing league convert Sam Burgess in the centres in their loss against Wales, poor old Sam has been getting hammered by the English press for an inept performance.

I am no rocket scientist but even I know that league converts struggle going from backline league to backline rugby, so what do you reckon moving a front-rower from league into a rugby backline is going to do?

BRANCH selection trials for under 13-17s are on today at Alexandra Headland and should showcase some of the upcoming stars of surf lifesaving.